Cheese-case.



G. H. BURLINGAME.

CHEESE CASE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 10, 1911.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

UNITED STATES PAENT GEORGE E. BURLING-AME, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNOR T BURLIN- GAME PHILLIPS 00., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AFIRM.

CHEESE-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 10, 1911.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Serial No. 643,323.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. BUR- LINGAME, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cheese- Cases,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cheese case.

It is the object of this invention to provide a cheese case which is soconstructed and arranged that the cheese supporting shelves maybereadily withdrawn from and replaced in the case with ease.

Another object is to provide a simple and effective means for directingair currents throughout the interior of the case and for regulating theflow of air therethrough.

A further object is to provide a cheese case embodying the abovefeatures, which is simple in construction, durable and not liable to getout of order.

The advantages to be derived by the use of this invention will becomeapparent in the following specification.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the in vention with portions broken away and withparts opened to disclose portions of the interior of the case. Fig. 2 isa vertical section of the invention showing the lower shelf in itsoutermost position. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line XX of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the case is shown as formed with four upright posts A,arranged at each corner, on which posts side panels ab-c and end'or topand bottom panels (Z and e are supported. The panels a-b-c arepreferably formed of glass; the side panels ac extending approximatelythe full height of the case while the rear panel 6 terminates somedistance above the bottom panel e; the space below the panel 6 beingprovided with doors 2 which form closures for the lower portion of therear side of the case. The bottom 6 of the case is provided with aseries of perforations 3 which are screened and are adapted to becovered to any desired extent by means of dampers or plates 4 which arepivoted adjacent to each perforation 3 and are arranged to be swungthereover so as to regulate the flow or rise of air through theperforations 3 into the interior of the case.

Disposed in the sides of the case below the top panel (Z are screenedpanels 5 which permit of the passage of air currents from the interiorto the exterior of the case.

Mounted within the case a short distance below the top panel (Z is aremovable slatted shelf 6 which rests on cross-pieces 77 extendingbetween the posts A across the front and rear sides of the case in theinterior thereof. The space between the cross-piece 7 and the screenpanel 5 on the front of the case is designed to be closed by means ofdoors 8 hinged on the upright posts A. Beneath the slatted shelf 6 and asuitable distance therefrom is a slidalole, slatted shelf 9. This shelf9 is provided with flanged rollers 10 which are arranged on the sidethereof near its rear end, as shown in Fig. 3, the rollers 10 beingmounted upon parallel tracks 11 extending between the posts A on theinner side of the side panels a and c and form supports for the rear endof the shelf 9.

The forward end of the shelf 9 is supported upon legs 12 which extenddownward alongside of the posts A and have casters 13 on their endswhich are adapted to travel in guide grooves 14 formed on the upper faceof a slidalole self 15 arranged in the case beneath the shelf 9.

The shelf 15 is supported at its rear end upon rollers 10 mounted totravel on tracks 11 supported on the upright posts A. The rollers 10 andthe track 11 correspond to the rollers 10 and track 11 on which theshelf 9 is supported. The forward end of the shelf 15 is supported uponlegs 16, which extend downward adjacent to the posts A and are providedwith casters 17 upon their lower ends which are adapted to travel uponthe floor or platform on which the posts A rest. The space between thelegs 16 below the shelf 15 is closed by means of a panel 18, which maybe hinged to .open if desired. This panel 18 is provided to form aclosure for the lower portion of the front of the case when the shelf 15is in its innermost position. The space between. the crosspiece 7 andthe slidable shelf 9 is adapted to be closed by means of doors 19 hingedto the front posts A. The space between the front edge of the shelf 9and the shelf 15 is designed to be closed by means of a paneled door 20which is hinged to swing vertically on the forward edge of the shelf 15.

An important feature in this invention resides in providing a simple andeffective means by which the shelves 9 and 15 may be connected so as tobe reciprocated in unison or independent of each other. This means ishere shown as consisting of hook-shaped engaging members 21 mounted onthe inside face of the door 20, and which members are adapted to engagepins 22 mounted on the legs 12, when the door 20 is in its vertical andclosed position.

Mounted on the rear edge of each of the slidable shelves 9 and 15, is avertically disposed panel 23, which panels are designed to close thespaces between the shelf 9,- the crosspiece 7 and shelf 15, when theshelves 9 and 15 are in their outermost position, and are provided forthe purpose of preventing the ingress of flies to the interior of thecase.

The slidable shelf 15 is provided with a series of screened perforations24, which are disposed near its outer edges and are provided for thepurpose of permitting the passage of currents of air upwardthrough theshelf 15.

In the application of this invention, a large cheese cake is placed oneach shelf 9 and 15; the two cakes of cheese being usually of differentvarieties, and may be mounted in the ordinary cheese-cutting machines,if desired, not necessary to be here shown. When it is desired to outthe cheese on the upper shelf 9, the doors 19 are opened and the shelf 9together with the shelf' 15 are drawn outwardly from the case in unison,the shelves 9 and 15 being locked together by means of the hooks 21 onthe door QOengaging the pins 22 on the legs 12.

The two shelves 9 and 11 in moving outward in unison, travel on therollers 1010' on the rear ends of the shelves and on the casters 17 onthe legs 16 on the forward end of the shelf 15. When the shelves 9 and15 are in their outermost position, the cheese on the shelf 9 is exposedand may be cut. If it is desired to have access to the cheese on theshelf 15 when the two are in their outermost position, the door 20 isopened and swung to its forwardmost position so as to disengage the hook21 from the pin 22. The upper shelf 9 may then be moved backward intothe case independent of the shelf 15, so as to expose the cheese on theshelf 15 and admit of its being cut. 1

In moving backward, the shelf 9 travels on the rollers 10 and casters13, the latter running in the groove 14 on the shelf 15. The shelf 9being restored to its innermost position within the case, the shelf 15may be closed independent thereof; and if desired,

may be drawn outward without disturbing the shelf 9 by previouslyopening the door 20.

The doors 2 admit of the space beneath the shelf 15 being utilized inany manner desired. The shelf 6 and the space thereabove are employedfor displaying fancy cheese which are usually packed in small packages.\Vhen the doors of the case are closed, there will be a constantcirculation of air therethrough, which air rises through theperforations 3 in the bottom e and will pass upward through theperforations 24 in the shelf 15 thence through the slatted shelves 9 and6 and then out through the screen panels 5 adjacent to the top panel dof the case. This admitsof a free circulation of air through theinterior of the case, thereby keeping the cheese therein cool and ingood condition. By'adjusting the dampers 4 the quantity of air admittedto the interior of the case may be regulated as desired, which is animportant feature, inasmuch as in some instances a too free circulationof air would tend to dry the cheese and thereby depreciate its value.The space below the shelf 15 may be utilized for holding ice or otheragents for cooling 7 or moistening the air within the case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. The combination in a cheese case havingtransparent side panels, a top panel, screen panels arranged at theupper ends of the side panels below the top panel and a bottom. panel,said bottom panel having screened perforations and means for closingsame, of a pair of superposed slidable shelves arranged within the case,with their rear ends slidably supported therein, legs on the forward endof the lower shelf forming a support therefor, said legs adapted totravel on the floor, legs on the forward end of the upper shelf forminga support therefor and adapted to travel on said lower shelf, and meansfor connecting said upper and lower shelves that they may be moved inunison.

2. The combination in a cheese case having transparent side panels, atop panel, screen panels arranged at the upper ends of the side panelsbelow the top panel and a bottom panel, said bottom panel havingscreened perforations and means for closing same, of a pair ofsuperposed slidable shelves arranged within the case, with their rearends slidably supported therein, legs on the forward end of the lowershelf forming a support therefor, said legs adapted. to travel on thefloor, legs on the forward end of the upper shelf forming a supporttherefor and adapted to travel on said lower shelf, and means forconnecting said upper and lower shelves that they may be moved inunison, said means including a vertically hinged panel on the forwardend of the lower shelf, hooked members on said panel, and pins on thelegs of the upper panel gdapted to be engaged by said hooked memers.

3. The combination in a cheese case having transparent side panels, atop panel, screen panels arranged at the upper ends of the side panelsbelow the top panel and a bottom panel, said bottom panel havingscreened perforations and means for closing same, of a pair ofsuperposed slidable shelves arranged within the case, with their rearends slidably supported therein, legs on the forward end of the lowershelf forming a support therefor, said legs adapted to travel on thefloor, legs on the forward end of the upper shelf forming a supporttherefor and adapted to travel on said lower shelf, means for connectingsaid upper and lower shelves that they may be moved in unison, saidmeans including a vertically hinged panel on the forward end of thelower shelf, hooked members on said panel, and pins on the legs of theupper panel adapted to'be engaged by said hooked members, said slidablepanels perforated to admit of the passage of air currents therethrough,and vertically disposed panels rigidly mounted on the rear ends of theslidable panels to close open spaces in the front of the case above theslidable panels, when the latter are in their outermost position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my ,hand in the presence of twosubscribs ing witnesses.

GEORGE H. BURLINGAME.

Witnesses:

F. E. MAYNARD, S. S. PHILLIPS.

